I just drove a race boat to 109MPH

[Todd T]

My brother works for a race boat team and he called me this morning and asked if I could go out with them to test. I knew the drill in and out of the water numerous times and changing props and toe settings each time. Hot, sweaty, I'm in! LOL



Well we got all finished up and the guy asked me if I wanted to go for a ride. I was hesitant because I saw where they had his 15yr old son sitting the first time out, but agreed. What the heck, right?



My brother hops in the truck to back it in and I was wondering who would drive, I climb up on the boat and Dennis (thorttleman) tells me to get in the drivers seat I was driving.



:--) Once I picked my jaw up off the deck I climb down in the canopy. I was doing everything I could to contain my anxiety. On the way out of the harbor he gave me some pointers on steering it. This is a 32' kevlar hulled Doug Wright with twin 300hp Mercury outboards it has a canopy top with escape hatch, oxygen the works. One person steers, the other works the throttles.



I get it pointed where we were going and he says "hold on" (I think I shart my pants at this point, I'm not sure) I was thinking we'd just go half throttle and back, no, he nailed it and started trimming it out. He hollers out "109MPH" and then he let off. We turn around and do it again; 108mph. turn and again, 109mph I was freaking out. That made my year right there!



The name of the boat or Bermuda Berry Cuda he runs the Off Shore Super boat series in the OSSCO (cat outboard) class and was the 2005 world champion.

 

[scootergmc]

http://www.apba-offshore.com/teams.cfm?action=detail&teamID=29



Looks like fun. I've been 150+ MPH on sportbikes, but I hear water is a different ball of wax... ... !

 

[Todd T]

Yep, that's the team but that pic is the old boat. They dont run the APBA anymore either.



Here is the current series link. http://www.offshoresuperseries.com/teams.php?teamType=3 But still a pic of the old boat. the new one looks just like the old one though. they are having a tough season so far this year. Growing pains with the new boat.

 

[klenger]

Where did you do this?

 

[Todd T]

On the Illinois river in front of Pere Marquette state park just past Grafton IL. The owner of the boat (Chris Marshall) lives in Bermuda. The boat's namesake, chief mechanic and throttleman (Dennis Berry) lives in Bethalto/Moro IL where the boat stays. It's only raced in the U. S. My brother works for him for a second job as a machinist. I am their painter.



I still cant believe he sat me in the seat of a $500K boat and ran it to 109mph three times. I've been around boats my whole life but have never gone that fast before driving or riding. I'm still pumped!

 

[KBennett]

Sweet!



Don't want to hijack the thread but it reminds me of the time I drove a friend's Porsche 911 and scared the you-know-what out of him.



Conversation went like this:

Owner: Wanna drive my new Porsche?

Me: Yes!

Throws me the keys and we take off.

Owner: Come on, let her rip!

Me: Let me get used to it first.

Headed for the expressway and am in third at the end of the on ramp and not letting up. Hit fourth and changed lanes and see him grab the door. Changed lanes again and hit fifth, then sixth. Running out of room I had to back out of it and looked down at the speedo to see it descending from 135.



Owner: How fast were you going?

Me: Over 130.

Owner: Geez!! I have never had it that fast. :-laf



You could not wipe smile off my face with a Brillo pad.

He was a nice guy and offered to let me take it out again if I wanted.

 

[Todd T]

Ha ha, ya a good friend on mine let me take his new corvette down the 1/4 mile once. I beat his best ET of the day and all he could say was "how did you make it get a second, third and fourth gear scratch?"



I just shrugged my shoulders and told him i dont let off when i shift and only use the clutch to launch LOL

 

[azpete]

Must have been some fun on that run Todd. Not many of us get a chance to run something that nice and expensive. I bet it would have made your decade if you could of had that on video.